Manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting device using a trench and support substrate

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting device, includes: forming a light emitting structure having a first conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductivity-type semiconductor layer on a growth substrate. A trench is formed in a portion to divide the light emitting structure into individual light emitting structures. The trench has a depth such that the growth substrate is not exposed. A support substrate is provided on the light emitting structure. The growth substrate is separated from the light emitting structure. The light emitting structure is cut into individual semiconductor light emitting devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting device, the method comprising:
 forming a light emitting structure having a first conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductivity-type semiconductor layer on a growth substrate; 
 forming a trench in a portion of a first surface of the light emitting structure to divide the light emitting structure into individual light emitting structures, the trench having a depth such that the growth substrate is not exposed; 
 forming an insulating layer on an inner surface of the trench; 
 providing a support substrate on the first surface of the light emitting structure following the forming of the insulating layer; 
 separating the growth substrate from the light emitting structure; and 
 cutting the light emitting structure into individual semiconductor light emitting devices by performing steps of:
 etching a portion of a second surface of the light emitting structure opposite to the first surface corresponding to a position of the trench to expose the insulating layer through the second surface; and 
 cutting the support substrate in the exposed portion of the insulating layer. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trench is formed in a region of the light emitting structure that is removed by etching when the light emitting structure is cut into the individual semiconductor light emitting devices. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trench is formed such that each of the individual light emitting structures is isolated. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the depth of the trench ranges from 3% to 25% of a thickness of the light emitting structure. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the trench is formed to have the depth ranging from 2000 Å to 15000 Å. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trench is formed through an inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICPRIE) method. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trench is formed through a wet etching method. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trench has sloped side walls. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the insulating layer includes a material selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 , SiN X  (where x is a positive integer), Si 3 N 4 , Al 2 O 3 , and TiO 2 . 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 forming a reflective layer on one surface of the light emitting structure. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the reflective layer includes a material selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide (ITO), silver (Ag), nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), ruthenium (Ru), gold (Au), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), AgCu, and AgCuPd. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the reflective layer includes a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR). 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 filling the trench with a bonding layer, after the forming of the insulating layer on the inner surface of the trench. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the bonding layer includes a material selected from the group consisting of nickel (Ni), tin (Sn), platinum (Pt), titanium (Ti), gold (Au), Au-Sn, indium (In), Au-Ag, and Pb-Sn. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the etching of the portion of the second surface of the light emitting structure to expose the insulating layer through the second surface comprises etching a region of the light emitting structure including and surrounding the trench such that only the insulating layer and the bonding layer remain between adjacent individual light emitting structures on the support substrate. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the separating of the growth substrate from the light emitting structure is performed according to a laser lift-off method. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trench has a width ranging from 7 μm to 20 μm. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the forming of the trench comprises forming a plurality of trenches in the first surface of the light emitting structure to form an intermittent dotted line of trenches in the first surface. 
     
     
       19. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting device, the method comprising:
 forming a light emitting structure having a first conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductivity-type semiconductor layer on a growth substrate; 
 forming a trench in a portion of a first surface of the light emitting structure to divide the light emitting structure into individual light emitting structures, the trench having a depth such that the growth substrate is not exposed; 
 forming an insulating layer on an inner surface of the trench; and 
 cutting the light emitting structure into individual semiconductor light emitting devices such that a region of the light emitting structure in which the trench is formed is removed by performing steps of:
 etching a portion of a second surface of the light emitting structure opposite to the first surface corresponding to a position of the trench to expose the insulating layer through the second surface; and 
 cutting a support substrate in the exposed portion of the insulating layer. 
 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 providing the support substrate on the light emitting structure; 
 separating the growth substrate from the light emitting structure.